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Karma's rework makes a lot of sense from a lore perspective.

The changes we’ve made have given new life to Karma’s title, “The Enlightened One.” In the past, her title conveyed her serenity and calm. Now, it represents the enlightened path she’s found for Ionia: a new path, merging the spiritual traditions of Ionia with the nation’s newfound strength.

So I've taken a bit of time to think about the new direction that Riot is taking with Karma, especially from a lore perspective. In a lot of ways, this remake marks a transition in Karma's way of thinking about the future of Ionia.

I was originally going to write a little fanfic about this (I still might), but for now I'll just say my main point. Something to note is that I am taking both Karma's current state and her reworked one as being canon, with the former becoming the latter. This is quite integral to my point.

So ever since Karma joined the League, a lot of stuff has gone down. After Ionia won independence from Noxus, the Elders (the governing body in Ionia) have probably been on her back to make sure that the next time Noxus attacks, Ionia will be ready. Not only that, but there have been several events that have disrupted the very foundation of Ionia's ideals (complete balance and harmony), which puts even more pressure on Karma, a paragon of her people. Let's go down the list, shall we?

1. A former guardian of the Pit of Pallas absorbed the eldritch horror he was guarding, disappeared, and has now returned, vowing vengeance against Noxus.

2. A rogue mage has created a flying fortress by tearing a castle out of the ground through sheer force of will and magical prowess, forgoing any idea of balance or restraint.

3. A single ninja from the Kinkou order tapped into forbidden techniques. He raised an army of shadows, killed the old master and took the temple for himself, and killed nearly everyone inside, save for three. Said ninja has made it his mission to upset the idea of balance in Ionia.

Clearly, at some point Karma had a revelation that a strongly worded letter to these three individuals would simply not cut it, and she had to get her hands dirty eventually. In some meditative state she undoubtedly had some sort of spirit animal vision thing go on with the twin dragons of Ionia, which gave her new purpose. Casting aside her fans and wielding pure willpower through her hands super saiyan style, she is ready to take the hands-on approach to enforce balance and strong leadership in Ionia.

That last bit could be worded better, but you get my meaning. Some Red feedback would be nice to know if I hit the nail on the head or if I just broke my thumb with the hammer. Runaan pls.

Ionia has always been about balance. The Kinkou kept the forbidden box because it was a darkness that countered their light. Their magic users weren't powerful but they were sedate. The darkness that Varus guarded was the counter point to the Ionian culture as a whole. Their magic schools were based around the discipline for control usage of magic.

Zed destabilized the Kinkou order. Varus destabilized his temple. Syndra destabilized the magic order. Ionia is out of balance. What is Karma's theme? Balance. Yin and Yang. Action and reaction. It is time for the reaction. The balance must be restored. The darker side of Ionia has taken drastic steps, and only a equally drastic, opposed stance will restore the balance and return to order.

I like the way you put it. However, I would say Ionia was imbalanced abefore these more sinister elements have arrived and some sort of action needs to be taken. Ionia needs to uncover the identity of its nation before these elements further influence it.

I hope Karma can be the one to do it, she seems to be the most capable. Can't wait to see how this shakes out. Glad that her lore was revisited/updated and can't wait to see what they do with Sej once she gets everything worked out.

I like the way you put it. However, I would say Ionia was imbalanced abefore these more sinister elements have arrived and some sort of action needs to be taken. Ionia needs to uncover the identity of its nation before these elements further influence it.

I hope Karma can be the one to do it, she seems to be the most capable. Can't wait to see how this shakes out. Glad that her lore was revisited/updated and can't wait to see what they do with Sej once she gets everything worked out.

Kudos for the slick stuff they are putting out.

I find it funny that for how much Ionia talks about balance and stuff, they house the biggest detriments to their mantra. Pit full of eldritch goo (why not put a big rock on it to plug the hole?), forbidden shadow arts (burn the scroll?), etc. I agree that they definitely need to find their identity, as they've just recently become their own country.

The entire point of their culture is to have a balance. Destroying, sealing, and/or removing the "bad" stuff would in turn weaken the significance of the "good" stuff. If they did not guard that which is forbidden and instead destroyed it then they would be nothing more than the overzealous and singleminded Demacians. If they embraced that which is forbidden then they would be the same as the corrupt Noxians. Instead, Ionians find the balance between the two. They collect that which is dangerous, learn from it, but they don't use it. They find the harmony in which both can exist in peace with each other.

And, unfortunately for the Ionians, the darker things that they have kept don't exactly agree with that and are now tearing Ionia apart. But I think I understand why they didn't destroy them to begin with. They are not so closed minded as to reject anything to the point of seeking its destruction on the singular basis that it exists; only once it is an open and uncontainable threat must it be destroyed.

I think that you are on the right track and that a fanfiction on this would be epic. You should post the link if you do decide to write it. NOW I WANT THEM TO RELEASE ANOTHER IONIAN CHAMP BUT ON THE GOOD SIDE

Well, Irelia's brother, Zelos, is still MIA. Since Lissandra has been hinted at as being an upcoming champion and her only previous mention was in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th issues of the JoJ (4th issue being August 2010), I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up eventually.

I find it funny that for how much Ionia talks about balance and stuff, they house the biggest detriments to their mantra.

...Or do they? For some reason, people consider 'The Balance' to be the ultimate good, which is not true by a longshot. The Balance is just that, a balance between good and evil in this world. Those who preach only one of the two are those who threaten said balance - that's why, those who protect it, must have mastery over both. Not everything that dwells in the light is good, and not all that lingers in the darkness is evil. Preachers of the light claim those of the darkness to be heretics, and dwellers of the dark claim those of the light to be blind in their holiness, but the only true path is in the middle. You shouldn't be afraid to hide a knife behind your fan.

...Or do they? For some reason, people consider 'The Balance' to be the ultimate good, which is not true by a longshot. The Balance is just that, a balance between good and evil in this world. Those who preach only one of the two are those who threaten said balance - that's why, those who protect it, must have mastery over both. Not everything that dwells in the light is good, and not all that lingers in the darkness is evil. Preachers of the light claim those of the darkness to be heretics, and dwellers of the dark claim those of the light to be blind in their holiness, but the only true path is in the middle. You shouldn't be afraid to hide a knife behind your fan.

I worded it poorly; what I meant was that the biggest threats to their sense of balance are in their backyard (which I guess is better than in Demacia or Noxus). Not so much that they're good or bad, but that in the wrong (or right?) hands, they prove dangerous. Also, the ones who were supposed to protect the big scary things from outsiders (Zed, Varus) instead manipulated them for their own purposes. Basically, Ionia's inhabitants are ironically some of the biggest perpetrators of imbalance.